The other night I finally got some time to go out and watch Blink Twice at Cineworld, a movie that has recently drawn a lot of attention for its ‘trigger warning’ message that flashes just before the movie starts. I can tell you that it was certainly worth it as it will bother certain people if they are not warned.
The narrative depicts Frida, played by Naomi Ackie, as she makes her retreat to an island with Slater King (Channing Tatum) to party but right from the first night, things at the retreat become disturbing when Frida observes strange things like possessions that are not hers and further, some forgetting memories. In what could be termed the most shocking revelation, when Frida asks her male friend Rich (Kyle MacLachlan) to ‘Blink Twice’ if Frida is in danger, Rich indeed blinks twice.
As Frida (Ackie) and her friend Jess (Alia Shawkat) partake lunch at the retreat, everything seems fine only for them to quickly realize that something is wrong and it is with great discomfort that they start to mistrust their host and his male friends who seem to be inviting their women for wild sexual escapades.
The answer to the question why is there a trigger warning at the beginning of Blink Twice becomes very clear, why because things surely do take a turn for the worse and the terrible truth about King Vic, Cody and Tom, Is there an animated picture language can in vehicles stop waiting for a miracle to register, people will feel quite uneasy about it and there’s bound to be the odd person or two who will either turn their heads as though they can’t bear to see what’s going on or will just get up and walk out of their seats in disgust.
The first gage was indeed much nerve wrecking than I thought it would, especially with Zoe Kravitz being new to direction. When the film begins with the introduction of characters such as the eligible bachelor, it portrays the scene in a very different way, as if people are just overpowering for a good time. There is so much focus on turning of events that followed but yes after moments of self reflection the audience is thrust into some astonishing and twinkling scenes which were bringing out panache in each and every detail of the film.
What appears to be a low budget intro video for an amateur thrash band manages to capture the viewer’s attention and suspense all the way through a slim 1h 42m runtime. Kravitz seems to know where to point her camera and has a knack for evoking conflict.
Unlike her contemporates in the world of thrillers, Blink Twice appears to do things differently. And this is Delilah Kravitz risks doing; some of them are unorthodox but in the end, they deliver as a good story should. This is over and above the cinematography which is yet another blend of light and shadows that cuts across the entire span of the film.
Majority of the supporting actors are effective. Especially during the film’s more dramatic moments. Without meaning to sound insensitive to the content, there are actually a few moments during the film when I found it hard not to laugh. When a character is on the receiving end of karmic retribution yet still turns in a wondrous performance, it’s hard not to chuckle at what befell him.
The film’s climax was perhaps the best part of the film as it seemed rather clich’ but in a great way because it left the viewer with the impression that at times, things return to the circle of justice.
All in all, Blink Twice is a brilliant first offering and a show of great film making from Zoe Kravitz. It is a movie that would stay in your thoughts long after the credits roll prompting you on developing a great anticipation to seeing Kravitz in action again. Blink Twice is a thriller while focusing on quick mental images. It is recommended for watch by the hot audiences.
For more movies visit 123Movies.